Psychosocial Attributes of Partner Relationship:A Qualitative Study

Partner relationship refers to the degree of intimacy, affection and contentment felt by the couple in their relationship. Psycho-social attributes plays a vital role in maintaining a harmonious relationship between partners. The objectives of the study were to explore the psychological and social attributes of partner relationship among married and divorced males and females. Qualitative design was adopted using in-depth interviews and focus group discussion techniques. Ten psycho-social themes emerged after content analysis; viz communicating within family, mutual understanding, trust and commitment, love and caring, Personal attributes, bonding with children, Influence of support system, satisfying sexual life, exploitation and conflict resolution and coping styles. The study can be useful in couple counseling sessions and pre-marital guidance programme for identifying and foreseeing the major psycho-social areas of concern in a marital relationship, thereby equip them to handle the discrepancies tactfully and effectively.